Thanks edinburgh87. I'm hoping the group I'm with will want to return via Wanlockhead. Great road that.
Checking out my os map, I see there's a henge near to Crawford. For another ride that passes nearer perhaps.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Events, rides etc.
Audax and Sportives 2021
(247 posts)-
Posted 3 years ago #
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sure is - that’s what we’re/I’m planning too
Posted 3 years ago # -
@edinburgh87 @amir Burnside Tearooms in Sanquhar is the control though, right? so we need a receipt even if it's just a bar of chocolate?
Yes, Wanlockhead is the plan.
Posted 3 years ago # -
@bill - could check with Lucy in the morning but the Organisers' Covid guidelines as I understand them from my own events are that we can relax the requirement to use "Cafe X" or whatever, and get PoP anywhere in the specific town. I'm trying the e-brevet app, so in theory just need to be physically there. Looks like it'll be a gamechanger - hope they roll it out en-masse (incl. DIYs) in due course!
Posted 3 years ago # -
@edinburgh87 cool, will check with Lucy then. I was referring to the email she sent out.
@amir hope to meet you somewhere there! if you decided to go via Wanlockhead you don't need to worry about being the last person as we will e behind you. Planning to stop and take some photos this time, as the last time we were with some fast cyclists so we just pushed on.
Posted 3 years ago # -
Saw a few gnarly audax types coming off Dreva bout 10.30am as say outsid3vBroughton Store. Was headwind from west on way out and then wind turneD and was easterly on return up Meldons so Headwind all day. Toughie.
Posted 3 years ago # -
I'm down for the Valkyries. Are we supposed to ride as a group? Is the fast group the first to set out or the last?
Posted 3 years ago # -
No rules - it's audax. I expect it is semi-random, unless Lucy has identified people that particularly want to cycle together. As long as we don't exceed the max group size, should be fine.
Forecast looks showery. But today's did as well and I didn't see one.
Where's the cake stop on the Valkyries?Posted 3 years ago # -
@bill and other Snow Harers - from doing last autumn’s edition, the Sanquhar tearoom is connected to a garage and small shop where you actually pay, so presumably same receipt whether you eat in or grab a sandwich from the shop. Would be good no doubt for future editions if the tearoom gets a reasonable level of Audax custom. As edinburgh87 said, probably best to check with Lucy
Posted 3 years ago # -
@mb - might just have been my timing but last year I felt the Café could have done without my order as they seemed run off their feet. I’ve developed a love of petrol stations since Covid hit. Open 24hours, easy to secure and keep eye on bike if alone and perfect for a quick in and out stop.
Posted 3 years ago # -
Walking/wild camping over the weekend. Driving back past St Mary's loch around lunchtime I saw a ragtag strung out collection of riders... it had to be an audax! Not many bar bags though so probably a short one ;-)
I'm riding the Valkyries next Sunday. It's my first audax since the national 400 in 2015, and probably my longest ride since we had the kids in 2016!
Posted 3 years ago # -
a ragtag strung out collection of riders
Haha! so fuuny. Yes, that was the Ride of the Valkyries.
Snow Hare was very great. Nice to meet @amir. How did you do in your summer jersey?
I was wearing my Galibier jacket (with a merino shirt and merino arm warmers) and it was perfect for the range of hail, cold and occasional sunshine. Alas not in SBR colours.
The Mennock Pass was great. I find it interesting that Wanlockhead and Leadhills are right next to each other, far away from anything else and yet in different counties.
My legs felt weak on uphills on the return from Biggar so @edinburgh87 and I didn't come back via Dreva but took the flatter way through Drumelzier. I had a tiffin (that I carried for over 100k) in Peebles and it seemed to completely fix my legs for the final bit to Gala. It worked like a charm. I was amazed.
A cup of tea and fries in McD was a treat. Nice that we can sit inside again.
Posted 3 years ago # -
@dave I hope you enjoy the return. On a 'bent?
@bill yes - great day out. It was decidedly cool but I was determined to wear my SBR jersey (summer weight but long sleeved). I did have a winter baselayer underneath though and wore a thick gilet for the first 30 miles.
I love the Mennock Pass and included that return on the summer Snow Hare outing. But it was also good to return via Crawfordjohn way. The last time I went in that direction, it was dark and it is lovely in the daylight.
This is the beauty of audax - you can go anyway you wish as long as you pass through the controls.We took the cycle path from Peebles to Walkerburn on the way back - nice and quiet, and so easy with a nice tailwind.
I'm now looking forward to my next audax - organised by @edinburgh87. I am missing the next SBR one due to holidays.Posted 3 years ago # -
@amir - glad to hear it, currently got a full field which has pleasingly surpassed expectations. Hoping to get an HQ set up for future runnings. Next non DIY event s for me are probably my own route checks (of the 100 and 200) then the Debatable Lands in June
Plenty places left on Pentland Populaire if anyone still fancies it.
Posted 3 years ago # -
How do people manage front lights with a bar bag? Perhaps it's just my bag but it always seems to block my (handlebar mounted) light.
Posted 3 years ago # -
(Dynamo-powered) light mounted above the front wheel/mudguard.
Posted 3 years ago # -
The only time I use a bar bag is when I am touring and then I have a dynamo positioned as per @frenchy.
In the old days, when I was a mere stripling, lights were fork mounted.Posted 3 years ago # -
@acsimpson i have a handlebar bag that sits fairly low so the light is above the bag. (This is the bag, I got it for free but like it and use it for commuting as well as long rides)
Posted 3 years ago # -
I have just bought one of these. It is quite expensive, but is locally made I understand*. I'll let you know how I get on with it...
https://www.straightcutdesign.com/products/bagel-bar-bag*In the past I've also bought from Trakke. It is a notable problem that if you buy things made by properly-paid people in Scotland rather than slaves in China they actually cost serious money. A sobering reminder of how little the people in China get for making them...
Posted 3 years ago # -
Thanks for the suggestions.
My bike only has a threaded mudguard boss at the rear of the crown, which makes mounting a light there trickier.While looking for brackets though I did find the "Moon Aerolite Front and Rear Bike Light" which mounts on the end of your drop bars and might be a good solution.
Posted 3 years ago # -
Fantastic Moscow Express 200 from Currie yesterday organised by @edinburgh87.
The weather was brilliant and as @amir said in the other thread no headwind for us. We had a bit of easterly tail wind in the morning (I saw the fog being blown west while at the Gillespie lights) but no headwind on the way back.
A few folks that I spoke to said that the route was much more hilly than they had expected :) But even the guys on a tandem managed to slog up the hills. I had a benefit of trying the route with edinburgh87 in March (except for the Darvel/Galston back roads section, which looked vertical from the bottom) so on Friday night I was adjusting the rear derailleur to make sure I can easily access the granny ones.
Thanks to @edinburgh87 for organising and waiting for us at the end to save us posting the brevet cards :)
Posted 3 years ago # -
@bill, yes I had the washing out in the late afternoon and the wind had really dropped so you were lucky except for the Darvel Wall. Still better than going to Galston.
Posted 3 years ago # -
+1 for yesterday's Moscow Express. What a great ride, feeling it today though...
Remarkably my first foray along the Lang Whang on a bike and my first visit to the Ayrshire Moscow (mind, haven't visited the other one either). Really testing route, which served up stunning views. Blew up on the 14% climb back into Lanark though, deciding some pushing here meant I had enough in the tank to contemplate the return ride back to Edinburgh.
By the end, the final 500m from Curriehill to the Co-op was almost beyond me. Rarely have I been quite so entirely emptied.
Posted 3 years ago # -
@mandopicker - glad you 'enjoyed' it! Guess those days are the ones we remember! That Lanark climb is the one part of the route I genuinely was in two minds about including - I'm not a fan of that bit of road but felt on balance it was a worthy sacrifice for the rest of the event. Hope to see you on a future ride!
Posted 3 years ago # -
Really great ride. And I almost never really knew where I was. Was pretty jealous of one companion with lower gears but then another went on a single speed. The big climb back into Lanark was hard, but there was then a real incentive to get to Carnwath before The Apple Pie closed. Great day, but tired today
Posted 3 years ago # -
What is everyone up to for the remainder of the summer? Going to try for a 400 in June (house move allowing), got Andy Berne's TotBaG 600 in August if it's allowed to run, and the Border Nights 400 in Sept (again, Covid allowing).
Hoping also to put on a "Winter Moscow Express" with soup station in Moscow, some time between Nov and Jan, and a local social 100 between Xmas and NY. Launching soon...
Posted 3 years ago # -
Soup kitchen Moscow. turnip and dill?
Posted 3 years ago # -
@gembo - would have to be borscht surely? I guess if I can find an urn that runs off a 12V car socket, or hire a generator, I could be onto something...
Posted 3 years ago # -
@edinburgh87 - I seem to recall seem to recall a French gent, Napoleon something or other, having a fairly sub-optimal experience with winter excursions to Moscow... Wrong tyres maybe?
Posted 3 years ago # -
And a bad attitude..;)
Posted 3 years ago #
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